Alligator kept in ‘makeshift’ shelter at home seized

WESTERLY, R.I. (AP) — Authorities have seized a 6-foot-long alligator from a home in Rhode Island.

Animal control officer Art Smith tells The Westerly Sun the owner of the Westerly residence saw the alligator and alerted police. The reptile seized Friday was owned by a tenant of the home and kept in a “makeshift shelter” in the backyard.

Smith says it was a public safety threat. The shelter was not “sufficient” for the reptile.

The alligator was procured in Florida and brought to Rhode Island. Smith says he’s relieved that no one had been injured by it.

State law requires that people seeking to keep exotic animals go through a permitting process. Smith says the alligator owner didn’t have a permit.

The owner will be charged with violating a Westerly ordinance that prohibits owning dangerous animals.